A hit to the head during a soccer game or a hard fall from skateboarding may result in a serious head injury and even a concussion. The American Academy of Pediatrics describes a concussion as any injury to the brain that disrupts normal brain function on a temporary or permanent basis. These injuries are typically caused by a blow to the head, most often occurring while playing contact sports such as football, hockey, soccer, wrestling or skateboarding.
For some children, concussions only last for a short while. Other times, a person can have symptoms of a concussion that last for several days or weeks following the injury. Not all symptoms of concussions will be obvious, and in some cases take several hours to set in. Look for these signs of a concussion if your child suffers a head injury:
Seek Medical Attention
If your child injures his head or you believe he may have a concussion, it is important that the child discontinues play immediately and visits a healthcare provider for an evaluation. All concussions are serious and should be monitored right away. A pediatrician can properly diagnose the concussion and its severity, and then make appropriate treatment recommendations.
Rest from all activities is the best treatment for concussions. Your pediatrician can make appropriate recommendations for when the child should return to future play. Recovery time depends on the child and the severity of the concussion.
Preventing Head Injuries
Not all head injuries can be avoided, but you can do a few important things to prevent them.
All head injuries should be taken seriously. Early detection and treatment is the best way to prevent serious complications. It’s never a bad idea to contact your pediatrician when you have questions or concerns about your child’s head injury.
1625 Avenue Of The Cities,
Moline, IL 61265
The sick clinic is for acute problems like rashes, insect bites, poison ivy, sunburn and ear pain. We continue to take additional precautions to ensure the safety and health of our patients and staff through the use of our mobile registration and gathering information in advance of your appointment.
Thank you for your continued patience and support as we strive to meet the ongoing needs of our community in the safest possible manner.
Our Moline office is open from 8 am to 1 pm and 2 pm to 5 pm Monday through Friday. We have limited Saturday availability for acute sick symptoms only through our Facebook self-scheduling link which will be posted each Friday evening by 7 pm CST. We do not have regular office hours on Sunday, however there is a provider on-call in case of emergencies.